This disclosure relates generally to ionizers and, more particularly, to automatic emitter point cleaners.
Ionizing devices that function as static eliminators or neutralizers may produce both polarities of ions that combine with and neutralize oppositely charged surfaces. Such devices are useful for maintaining electrostatically neutral conditions usually associated with the manufacture of electronic devices, especially semiconductors. Because these ionizers use discharge electrodes that produce an electric field, they tend to accumulate foreign particles at their emitter points or edges. This particle accumulation can cause an excess emission of ions of one polarity or the other, i.e., ion imbalance, whereby the area at which both polarities of ions are directed tends to become charged rather than electrostatically neutral.